Four Giants

Messing about with wood and tools, and tobacco and pipes.

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This is Clementine, and she's the greatest thing I ever helped make.

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We're having a daughter. I couldn't be more thrilled.

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I miss my workshop and all my tools. And it's too cold here to smoke a pipe until Spring. Despite these things, I'm happy. Forgot about this blog in the chaos of moving and job hunting. I'll try to post more.

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Still settling in, but we visited Firehouse 8 - the building used in Ghostbusters - as it was right by a stop on the subway we took.

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Well, from the moment I got engaged less than two months ago, life began moving at 88mph and time has flown right by. In less than a month we're getting married, and three weeks after that we're moving to the NYC area so she can work on her PhD at NYU.

I'll have to leave 90% of my tools behind. It breaks my heart, but it's worth it. I'll be leaving them in storage and I have family in the area to watch over them. I hope I can come pick them up in the winter, but if not, I won't be building anything for at least 3 years.

So, thanks to all who follow this blog, but the core content of it will likely be changing from woodworking and pipes to mostly pipes and city life. I'm not much for cities, but I'm intent on enjoying life with my new wife while we're there.

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This Engagement Ring Came In A Sad, Little Box. Now It Looks Completely Different

Look what got picked up by HuffPost!

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The engagement ring I bought came in a horrible little box, so I made one I thought she would like. She has a thing for bees, and sunflowers, so I found an old bee-shaped trinket box and built a ring box out of some decorative flowers I picked up at a hobby shop.

Inside the bee, I placed a piece of paper asking her to marry me, and then I opened up the flower to show her the ring.

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I'm pretty chuffed that she said yes because if she hadn't this road trip we're on was going to get really awkward.

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Received a photo from the buyer of the Shakier Shaker rack. Always makes me happy when a customer is happy and when a pipe rack finds a good home.

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Spent time with my trusty 1950's octagonal-paneled Kaywoodie Flame Grain. Picked it up for $5 in an antique store; she cleans up real nice.

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Another Shaker pipe rack was commissioned. Guess I'll call it The Shakier.

This is the last commission I take for a while. In a few months I'll be moving to the New England area from Florida and I have a lot to do around here before I go. I'll try to get a few more racks made but I no time for custom stuff.

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Reddit's /r/PipeTobacco Pipe of the Year 2014 by J&J Pipes.

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Had a visitor in the shop while working this morning.

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The local Greek Orthodox Church asked for my help to hang a few icons they had. The wood that the icons were painted on was too thin to drill into, so I made some simple backings to attach to each of them that I could route keyhole notches in.

The names of each Saint is written on the icon in Greek, so for non-Greek speakers I stamped the names of the Saints depicted on the icons into the wood of the backings I made - Sts Panteleimon, Kyrikos, and the Holy Fathers of Mar Sabas Monastery in Jerusalem. These icons are of the Saints whose relics are housed in the parish's altar.

It was an honor to help, and I hope I'll be able to work on the fourth icon of St Kyrikos' mother, St Julia, when it arrives.

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The Shaker Rack: Made of red oak and poplar, this commissioned rack holds seven pipes - one for each day of the week.

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The current workspace setup. Still settling in; looking forward to getting things moving.

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Fiddling about with a new picture taking set up; here's a shot of the latest pipe rack. I call it The Shaker. I'll post more later.

Still healing up from the surgery, but it's good to be able to get back to a little bit of work.